Flexible pocket receptacle



Aug. 9, 1932.

w. R. BUXTON 1,870,893

FLEXIBLE POCKET RECEPTAGLE Filed July 17, 1950 INVENTOR. M/M [RR B0170 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITE i STATES PATH oFFi WEB B. BUXTON, F LONG-MEADOW, MASSACHUSETTS FLEXIBLE POCKET RECEPTACLE Application filed July 17,

This invention relates to improvements in flexible pocket receptacles.

While the receptacle of this invention may have other applications, it is primarily 1n- 5 tended for the purpose of carrylng automobile license and registration papers along with keys, such as automobile keys. 7

Many examples will be found in the prior art of key cases adapted for the stated pur 10 pose. For the most part, the prior art keycases provide pockets in which the license and registration papers are received in folded-up form. These are open to the objection that the papers have to be removed from the pocket and unfoldedbefore they can be displayed. In other cases, provision is made for a limited display of the papers but usually not enough of the papers are displayed to satisfy the authorities asking to see them. In another prior art example, a key case is combined with pairs of hinged transparent containers for the papers,one pair for the license and one pair for the registration,in such a way that. all necessary parts of the license and registration can be displayed. In the last named example, however, the license and registration papers are exposed each time the key case is opened and also the hinged containers are subjected to 30 movement on their hinge connections by the opening and closing of the key case. This results in oft-repeated bending back and forth of the license and registration papers along a line of fold coincident with said hinge connection and the papers are liable to wear through along this line. Aside from this objection, the case is larger and more bulky than need be for the purpose.

The invention has for its general objects to provide an improved means for accomplishing the stated purpose or analogous purposes; to provide a key case in which the license and registration papers are normally concealed, or substantially so, and at the same time protected against damage and rapid wear and yet arranged to be readily exposed and displayed when required; and to provide a receptacle in which the license, registration and all the keys required for the automobile, may be contained and which is foldable into 1930. Serial No. 468,576.

small compass and into thin, substantially fiat and compact form.

These and other objects will more particularly appear as the detailed description proceeds will be pointed out inthe appended no claims.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figs. 1 andv 2 are elevationalviews showing, in open and closed positions, respectively, a key case embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view showing, separately from the key case, the provisions for carrying license and registration papers;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross secsional view taken on the line 4.4= of Fig. 3; an

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views taken similarly to Fig. 1 but showing the aforesaid carrying means in the several different positions which it may assume.

The means for carrying the license and registration papers is best shown in Fig. 3. It consists of two containers 10, each constructed in the form of an open-ended, flatteneddown tube, having closely spaced front and rear walls 11 and 12, respectively, with very short connecting side walls 13. The walls 11 and 12 are at least in part, and preferably entirely, of transparent material for the purpose of displaying the papers carried between them. By preference, I construct the containers entirely out of celluloid or some like material which is not only transparent but also flexible. As shown, each container is constructed of a single strip of such material, folded and pressed into the form shown. The ends of the strip overlap and preferably the on overlapping portions are adhesively, or otherwise, secured although this is not necessarily essential for all purposes. For example, the overlapping tab-like part 14, extending from one sidewall 13 and overlapping 95 the front wall 11, will, of itself, retain the parts in the position shown without the use of adhesive. -By omitting the adhesive between the tab 14 and wall 11, the container may be opened, when desired, by bending wall 11 enough to withdraw its free end frombeneath the tab.

The two containers are so placed that an open end of one lies adjacent and in align ment with an open end of the other and they are then suitably hinged together so that one can be superposed on the other. Preferably, the containers are interconnected-by a thin stri 15 of flexible material, such as leather or he like. This strip is passed end to end through both containersand is long enough to provide for aspace between the adjacent open ends of the containers. That part of the strip marked 16 and. located between the con tainers, serves as a hin e. The strip 15 is preferably slidable relatively to the containers to enable them to move toward or away from one another and shorten or lengthen the hinge part 16 as. may be necessary or desirable to take care of variations in thickness of the papers carried by the containers. The strip 15 and containers 10 have interengaging means for limiting the extent of sliding movement in the direction tending to sep arate them and for preventing withdrawal of the containers from the strip. As shown, the strip 15 has at each of its four corners a projection 17, which extends into a slot 18 in the container to accomplish this purpose.

The central section 16 of the strip is usually recessed at intervals to afford a free working hinge connection and a desirable form of recessing is that herein shown, v1z., more or less triangular shaped openings 19 having the base of the triangle substantially coincident with the hinge line 20, and the sides converging toward one open end of the container. This is desirable to facilitate the insertion of papers into the containers. As a paper is slid lengthwise into a container through an open end thereof and between one of its walls 11 or 12 and the partition-forming strip 15, the leading end of the paper will first meet the point of the triangle. This point presents no obstruction on which the edge of the paper can catch but, on the contrary, the paper readily rides over this point and is guided in place smoothly. The particular trlangular shape of the openings is not, however, the only means of getting this result. Openings of other shapes will suifice so long as the do not afford two more or less parallel sides disposed parallel with the line of fold 20.

The license and registration papers disposed back to back are slid into the containers on opposite sides of the partitioning strip 15 so that substantially half of each lies in one container 10 and substantially the remaining half in the other container. The containers are large enough to contain between them the license 21 and registration 22 and display all essential parts of one through the rear walls 12 and all the essential parts of the other through the front walls 11, when he in the same plane.

the containers are unfolded and spread out to In some cases, it may be necessary to fold such papers once in order to insert them in the containers but this can be done in such a manner that all the essential parts canvbe displayed through the walls of the containers without necessitating withdrawal of the papers therefrom.

The carrying device for these papers is preferably associated with some sort of folder and desirably with the folder of a key case such as one used to carry automobile keys. 1 show the invention in the latter form. A

folder 23, of leather or the like has a central section or back 24 to which is secured, near the upper edge thereof, a metalpiece 25, pivotally supporting one or more key holders 26. On opposite sides of the section 24 are flap sections 27 and 28, hingedly connected thereto'to fold along the crease lines 29and 30 over and uponthe central section 24 in overlapping relation. The flaps 27 and 28 may be secured in such relation by interengaging snap fastener elements 31 and 32, respectively, fixed thereto.

The containers are preferably connected to the key case or other folder by hingedly connecting the strip 15 thereto so that one of the unhinged ends of one container 10- will lie adjacent and parallel with thecrease line 29. This arrangement allows one container 10 to be superposed on the flap 27 and the other container may be superposed on the former so ghat both lie within the border linesof the It is'desirable to protect the containers 10 from abrasion by the keys or their holders and also to hold these containers firmly to the key case folder so that the key case may be used in the ordinaryfashion without interference dueto movement of the containers relatively to the folder. To accomplish these objects, I provide a covering flap 33, preferably in the nature of an integral extension of one end of strip 15. This flap can be folded to overlie the containers, when superposed on flap 27, and may be secured by a tab 34 carrying a snap fastener element 35 to engage amating fastener element 36 on A. preferred way of hingedly, and at the same time detachably, connecting the containers to the key case folder makes use of a hinge strap 37, secured at one end to the central section 24 near the line of fold 29. The leather strip 15 has longitudinally spaced slots 38 and 39 therein through which strip 37 is passed. The flap 27 is provided with parallel slits 40, forming between them a strap 41. The free end of strap 37 ispassed through one slit 40 to the outer surface of the folder 23, across the outer surface of strap 41, and in through the other slit 40, and thus releasably held in place.

The front and rear Walls. of both containers are recessed, as at 42, in their outer, unhinged end ed es to provide clearance for the hinge strap 3%.

Normally, the two containers 10 lie in superposed relation upon and within the borders of flap section 27. They are then covered by flap 33 and protected and concealed thereby. The flap 34, and fastener elements 35 and 36, hold the flap 33 in place and the containers are thereby held in the described relation in which movement of the containers relatively to the key case is restrained. The key case may then be used in the normal way. It may be opened and closed without giving a thought to the containers 10 or without any bother or interference arising because of their presence because they are bound to the flap 27 of the key case folder. When access to the license and registration papers is required, one simply disengages the fasteners 35 and 36 and folds back the flap 33 into the position shown in Fig. 5. This exposes the superposed containers 10 and renders them accessible. By then folding back one of the containers into the position shown in Fig. 6, the license 21 is displayed. To display the registration, the two containers while still spread out are swung on the hinge strap 37 through an angle of 1 870 degrees into the position shown in Fi r kccess to the license and registration papers is ordinarily required only at infrequent intervals, while access to the keys may be re quired many times each day. The arrangement described protects the license and registration papers from the wear and tear incident to the frequent opening and closing of the key case, and protects the containers 10 from abrasion by the keys.

It is important in order to display enough 'of the registration and licensepapers to have a containing means therefor of a substantial area and unless the receptacle is to be unduly large, this containing means of large area must be sub-divided into at least two containers. This necessitates a hinge connection to enable one container to be superposed on the other into the necessary small compass to be contained in a small key case (that illustrated is substantially smaller than an ordinary key case). It is important, if long and useful service is to be had, that the containers be moved on their hinge connection as 1nfrequently as possible. Since the license and registration papers also bend back and forth as the containers are swung on the hinge 37, these papers would soon wear through along the line of fold. Also, the less the containers are used, the better. The celluloid is easily abraded and injured. Also a slight amount of abrasion of the containers, as by rubbing one upon another, will soon destroy the de sired clear transparency of their walls.

The described arrangement, therefore, is a most advantageous solution of the problem of carrying license and registration papers in a key case. These papers are concealed and protected under normal use of the receptacle as a key case and are not subjected to any wear by key case use. Yet the papers are instantly available and readily dl'splayable, when required.

WhatI claim is:

1. In combination, a folder of flexible material having a central section and a pair of flaps hingedly connected one to each side edge thereof, key holding means carried by the central section near one end edge thereof, a container having closely spaced front and rear walls at least in part of transparent material and connecting side walls, means hingedly connecting said container near one end edge to said folder to swing about a line substantially coincident with the hinge line of one of said flaps so that the container may be swung into and out of superposed relation with such flap, and a simllar container having one end edge hingedly connected to the other edge of the first container and adapted to be superposed on the latter.

2. In combination, a folder of flexible material having a central section and a pair of flaps hingedly connected one to each side edge thereof, key holding means carried by the central section near one end edge thereof, a container having closely spaced front and rear walls at least in part of transparent material and connecting side walls, meanshingedly connecting said container near one end edge to said folder to swing about a line substantially coincident with the hinge line of one of said flaps so that the container may be swung into and out of superposed relation with such flap, a similar container having one end edge hingedly connected to the other end edge of the first container and adapted to be superposed on the latter, a flap hingedly connected to said folder and adapted to overlie the containers when tion and superposed on their flap, and conveninetly releasable means for holding the free end of the last named flap to said folder.

. 3. In combination, a pair of containers each constructed in the form of an openended flattened-down tube and at least in part of transparent material. a member of flexible material passing through both containers and serving to hingedly connect them for swinging movement into and out of superposed relation, a folder of flexible material havingat least two sections which are foldably connected to swing into and out of superposed relation, and means hingedly connecting one end of said member to said folder to swing about substantially the same axis as that about which said sections swing.

4. In) combination, a pair of containers each constructed in the form of an open-ended flattened-down tube and at least in part in superposed rela-.

of transparent material, a member of flexible material passing through both containers and serving to hingedly connect them for swinging movement into and out of superposed relation, a folder of flexible material having at least two sections which are foldably connected to swing into and out of superposed relation, said member extending beyond the unhinged end of one of the containers and hingedly connected to said folder to swing part of transparent material, amember of flexible material passing through both containers and serving to hingedly connect them for swinging movement into and out of superposed relation, a folder of flexible material having at least two sections which are foldably connected to swing into and out of superposed relation, said member extending beyond the unhinged end of one of the containers and hingedly connected to said folder to swing about substantially the same axis as that about which said sections swing, said containers movable into superposed relation and into superposed relation wlth one of said sections, said member also extending beyond its hinge connection with said folder to form a covering flap movable to overlie the super posed containers when superposed on said section, and key holding means carried by the other of-said sections.

6. I11 combination, a pair of containers I each constructed in the form of a flatteneddown open-ended tube and at least in part of transparent material, and a member of flexible material passing through said containers and serving to hingedly connect them so that they may be swung into and out of superposed relation, said member having openings adjacent the line about which it folds when the containers are swung as aforesaid, said openings having walls no more than one of which lies in parallel relation with said line. V

7. In combination, a pair of containers each constructed in the form of an openended flattened-down tube and at least in part of transparent material, a member of flexible material passing through both containers and serving to hingedly connect them for swinging movement into and out of su perposed relation, a folder of flexible material having at least two sections which are foldably connected to swing into and out of superposed relation, said member-extending beyond the unhmged end of one container and having near such end two longitudinally spaced slots and extending beyond said slots far enough to form a covering flap to fold back and overlie the containers when super posed, and a strap hingedly secured to said foldernear one end and passing through said slots to hingedly connect the superposed containers and their covering flap to the folder so that they lie between the sections thereof.

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature.

WARNER R. BUXTON. 

